2016 was bad. Watching the world fall apart has made something as silly as writing about cartoons difficult to focus on at times. Still, it’s good to have a way to escape and anime has been good for that. In fact, I’d say this is the best overall year of anime we’ve had since 2011. I certainly had fun compiling my annual list of favorite moments and it was hard to narrow down to ten… so I decided not to. Hey, it’s my list and I will do what I want. So enjoy the list and stay tuned for the rest of the week as the rest of the crew shares their highlights from this year.

With Asuka’s future hanging in the balance, the band is counting on Kumiko to convince her to come back. They meet up at Asuka’s house to study and, for perhaps the first time, they have a real conversation.

Asuka continues to miss practice, putting her participation in the Nationals in jeopardy. Kumiko is stuck home with a cold and must confront Mamiko, who has finally explained her reason for leaving college.

Asuka’s mother arrives at school and demands that she quits the band to focus on her entrance exams. With the prospect of losing their leader looming over their hands, the band has trouble staying focused on practice.